Judging Between Designs
A 60-minute Grade 5 lesson on generating several solutions and judging between them honestly against the brief.
Judging Between Designs is a free 60-minute Grade 3 to Grade 5 science lesson plan for Common Core standard 3-5-ETS1-2 — compare several possible solutions against the criteria and the constraints. It is timed across 5 sections, gives the exact wording to use where the wording carries the mathematics, names 3 misconceptions with the teaching move that addresses each, and ends with an exit ticket and a printable worksheet with its answer key.
- Grade:
- Grade 3 to Grade 5
- Length:
- 60 minutes
- Standard:
- 3-5-ETS1-2
Grade 3 to Grade 5 · Engineering Design
3-5-ETS1-2
Generate and compare multiple possible solutions to a problem based on how well each is likely to meet the criteria and constraints of the problem.
Objective
Students will be able to score several designs against a brief and defend the result.
Students are successful when they can
- Generates at least three genuinely different solutions.
- Scores against every criterion before totalling.
- Defends the winner against a challenge.
What you need
- The brief from the previous lesson, sketching paper
- A scoring grid with a column per criterion and constraint
- The printable practice sheet linked at the end of this plan
The lesson
Warm-up
5 min- Ask for the obvious solution, then ban it and ask for two more.
- Note how the banned one is often not the best.
Teach — score honestly, then defend
15 min- Set up the grid with three designs and every criterion.
- Score the first design, including where it is weak.
- Say the discipline: score every cell before looking at a total.
- Mark constraint failures and rule those designs out.
- Read the winner and name the criterion that decided it.
- Then the challenge: another group argues for a different winner, and you answer with the grid.
“Score it as it is. What is the evidence for that number?”
Investigate — three designs, one grid
22 min- Groups sketch three genuinely different solutions to their brief.
- They score all three against every criterion and constraint.
- They rule out constraint failures and identify the winner.
- They defend the winner against another group's challenge, using the grid.
Independent practice
15 min- Students complete the 'Judging Between Designs' page.
- Check the justification cites criteria rather than preference.
Close
3 min- Ask how many winners were the group's first idea.
What goes wrong, and why
Each of these is a reasoning error rather than carelessness. The fix addresses the reasoning.
Generates three versions of one idea.
Why: It is quicker.
Fix: Genuinely different means a different approach, not a different colour.
Scores their own design generously.
Why: They designed it.
Fix: Swap grids. Another group scores it.
Drops a constraint to save a favourite.
Why: It scores so well.
Fix: Then the brief was wrong, and that has to be argued openly, not quietly.
If they are not there yet
- Two designs and three criteria.
- A grid with the first design scored.
If they finish early
- Build a hybrid from the best features and score it.
- Say which criterion should be weighted highest, and why.
- Find a change to the brief that would reverse the result.
Exit ticket
Your best-scoring design breaks a constraint. What do you do, and what would justify changing the brief instead?
What to look for: Rule it out, unless the constraint is argued openly to be wrong and the brief is changed on the record. Quietly ignoring the constraint means the rule needs another run.
Printable practice for 3-5-ETS1-2
Free to print and copy, answer key included. Each sheet can generate a fresh set of problems for a retake.
- Judging Between DesignsCircle the best answer.
Questions about Judging Between Designs
How long does the Judging Between Designs lesson take?
60 minutes, split across 5 timed sections: warm-up 5 min, teach 15 min, investigate 22 min, independent practice 15 min, close 3 min. The minutes are stated per section and add up to the stated length, so the plan can be cut or extended at a section boundary rather than abandoned halfway.
Which standard does Judging Between Designs teach?
3-5-ETS1-2 — 3-5-ETS1-2, Engineering Design for Grade 3 to Grade 5: “Generate and compare multiple possible solutions to a problem based on how well each is likely to meet the criteria and constraints of the problem.” In plain terms, compare several possible solutions against the criteria and the constraints.
What do I need to teach this lesson?
The brief from the previous lesson, sketching paper, a scoring grid with a column per criterion and constraint and the printable practice sheet linked at the end of this plan. Everything listed is either ordinary classroom equipment or a free printable from this site — there is nothing to buy and nothing to prepare beyond photocopying.
What mistakes should I expect in this lesson?
Three, each a reasoning error rather than carelessness: generates three versions of one idea; scores their own design generously and drops a constraint to save a favourite. The plan gives the thinking behind each one and the teaching move that addresses the thinking rather than the symptom.
How do I know whether the lesson worked?
The exit ticket asks: “Your best-scoring design breaks a constraint. What do you do, and what would justify changing the brief instead?.” Rule it out, unless the constraint is argued openly to be wrong and the brief is changed on the record. Quietly ignoring the constraint means the rule needs another run. That tells you whether the class needs a reteach or a thirty-second conversation before you plan tomorrow.
Is there a worksheet to go with Judging Between Designs?
Yes — 1 printable 3-5-ETS1-2 worksheet, linked at the end of the plan and free like the rest of the site. Each one comes with an answer key and 25 versions, so the practice after the lesson can be a different paper on every desk.
Is Judging Between Designs free to use?
Yes. The plan, its printables and their answer keys are free to read, print and photocopy for your own class, with no account and no email capture. It was last reviewed on 8 September 2026. Please do not resell it or republish it as your own.
Last reviewed 2026-09-08. Aligned to 3-5-ETS1-2 of the Next Generation Science Standards.